I'm living with four housemates (we're all students at the same uni), who overrode my decision on what house we should rent this year. I decided I had to go with it since I was the only one who disagreed, which was a big mistake. They also hate the place now. I've tried my hardest to live there but my room is affected by damp, woodlice get in at every corner (and up the shower plughole!), I've found slugs in my room more than once, the window frames are broken, and our shower has been broken for three weeks; despite calling the estate agents every two days. They say they will chase up the landlord, but nothing's happened. Not sure if it's them or him who is the cause of the delay. I couldn't describe the state of the toilets. There weren't even smoke alarms until I called an independent health inspector and she made the landlord come around and install them.

My question is, with all this going on, is there any way we can leave the house? I've found out that there are other places available, but I'd have to get out of this contract to even look at them. If there's any option, I'll try and get out. My work is already suffering because I can't concentrate in my room, and I've started lapsing back into OCD with washing my hands all the time, which I think must be caused by the house. Can landlords ignore all these issues in view of the fact that they have a signed contract?

Call back the health inspector, show them the problems, Have the inspector issue a citation to the landlord. Then send the landlord a letter stating that if the problems are not fixed within 1 week, you will consider him in breach of the lease and therefore the lease is voided and you will be moving out.

The conditions you cite should be sufficient to break the lease, but you have to go about it the right way. You can't just up and leave. You have to formally inform the landlord of the problem, give them a reasonable amount of time to fix the issues before you can declare them in breach.